Safety mechanism for knitting machines



June 5, 1956 R, P. L oEPER ET AL 2748583 SAFETY MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2l, 1953 T r e Reu Y oww E Q m To N m K mL o M WP .M b m MFM v @u \\\|NN Lwm ||\l i I e .m L W N m .A v f |-I Q o` I l I W Nm am R Nw @Q Nv Nm am 22N NN Q QM I I I A@ 0,0 m Q m QQQ Q s n a June 5, 1956 R. P. LoEPl-:R ErAL 2748,583

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 21, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 '7 :E lE- E IVENTOR Robert I.) Loqner BY Wrne', ueZZer T oR EY June 5, 1956 R. P. LOEPER ET AL 2748,583

SAFETY MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 2l. -1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FJ.. E-...E FL E- 7 /0/ 2,748,583 Patented June 5, 1956 SAFETY MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Robert P. Loeper, West Reading, and Werner F. K. Mueller, Reading, Pa., assignors to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application .'uly 21, 1953, Serial No. 369,426

14 Claims. (Cl. 66157) This invention relates to safety mechanism for knitting machines and more particlarly to safety mechanisms for preventing accidental engagement of the narrowing combs with the lace point fingers and lace point bars of such machines.

In many of the present machines for knitting fullfashioned stocking blanks various transfer or lace point bar arrangements are provided to form the desired lace effects in stocking blanks in addition to the usual narrowing point combs for fashioning the selvage edges of the blanks. Where gauge and yarn denier markings are to be made, brackets or lace fingers are used which carry only a single point. Lace point bars, generally referred to as instep point bars are also provided to form lace or socalled non-run loop formations in the single thread instep portion between the heel and sole reinforced portions of the stocking blanks.

In the usual practice the points of the narrowing combs, lace point fingers and the instep point bars all operate in the same vertical plane and on the same level with respect to the needles of the machine. The narrowing combs, in fashioning the fabrics, are moved toward each lother through the positions occupied by the lace point fingers and instep point bar during their operation. Consequently, the lace point fingers and instep point bars are normally in inactive position when the combs are in operation. However, in instances where the lace point fingers are inadvertently permitted to remain in lowered active position as the combs fashion the fabrics, the combs engage the lace point fingers thereby not only damaging these parts but also causing damage to other parts of the machine. Damage also occurs when the narrowing combs and the instep point bar, which are at times in simultaneous operation to fashion the sole and form lace in the instep portions, respectively, engage each other. This may occur when the narrowing combs are initially incorrectly set at the start of the sole narrowings. Engagement between the combs and instep point bar may also occur when a greater number of buttons is inadvertently placed on the pattern chain than required to form the desired fashionings.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means in a full-fashioned knitting machine for preventing engagement of the narrowing combs with the lace point fingers when the fingers are inadvertently permitted to remain in the operating path of the narrowing combs.

Another object of the invention is to provide means yfor preventing overtravel of the narrowing combs into engagement with the lace point bars when both he narrowing combs and the lace point bars are simultaneously in active operating position with respect .to the needles.

Another objectof the invention is to provide means for preventing accidental engagement of the narrowing combs with the lace point fingers and instep point bar comprising means for stopping the machine operation when the narrowing combs have been moved to within predetermined distances from the lace point fingers and instep `point bar. v

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial front elevational view of the left end of a multi-section full-fashioned knitting machine with mechanism according to the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 1 and shown on an enlarged scale relative thereto certain parts being omitted to more clearly show others' and including a diagrammatic showing of an electrical control circit for the machine;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View, on an enlarged scale, looking in the direction of the arrows 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view looking in the direction of the arrows 5 5 of Fig. 4; v

Fig. y6 is a front elevational view on an enlarged scale, similar to a portion of Fig. 2, parts being omitted and others being shown in section;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 7-7 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 8 8 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings and description, only the means necessary to a complete understanding of the invention are specifically set forth; further information as to the construction and operation of other related, usual and well known knitting machine elements, mechanisms, etc., may be found in one or more of the following publications of the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pa.: The Reading Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalog, of 1940, the supplement thereto entitled The Reading High Production Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine, of 1940, and The Reading Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalogs of 1947 and 1952.

In knitting stocking blanks on a full-fashioned knitting machine, the machine is provided with a mechanism referred to as a narrowing machine which operates means to fashion the blanks by transferring the selvage edge loops of the blanks and also operates means to transfer others of the loops to form various lace designs in the fabrics. The means for fashioning the selvage edges of the blanks includes a wide point comb and a narrow point comb adapted to operate at each selvage edge. During certain of the fashioning operations the narrow combs are idly positioned at the center of the blanks while the wide combs operate to transfer the edge loops of the fabrics. in other fashioning operations a wide and narrow comb operate as a pair to transfer the edge loops of the fabrics.

The means for forming lace designs include a wide lace point bar which is adapted to transfer loops in the widest portions of the fabrics, and a narrow or instep point bar for transferring loops in the single thread instep portion between the reinforced heel and sole portions of the fabrics. Lace point ngers having a single point are also provided for transferring loops to form machine gauge and yarn denier markings in the fabrics. The narrow and wide point bars and the lace point fingers are pivoted on the narrowing machine for movement between active and inactive positions so that any two of the point carrying members may be positioned in inactive position While the third point carrying member is in active position to form lace designs. The wide and narrow narrowing combs, however, have only an active position with respect to the narrowing machine and as the wide point bar overlaps the narrow narrowing combs and a part of each of the wide narrowing combs, means are also provided to operate the wide point bar and the narrowing combs at two different levels. This means 1s fully shown and described in a patent to I. Held, No. 2,242,070, issued May 13, 1941.

The narrow or instep point bar and lace point fingers operate, however, at the same level as the narrowing combs and the combs at times cross the position in which the instep point bar and lace point fingers normally operate. Therefore, in accordance with the instant invention, the machine is provided with mechanism to prevent the narrowing combs from engaging the instep point bar and lace point fingers when the latter are permitted to remain in active position during operation of the narrowing combs. The mechanism includes a switch connected in the circuit of the machine operating motor, a rod movable with one of the wide narrowing combs, members associated with the instep point bar and lace point fingers adapted to be positioned in the path of the rod when the instep point bar and lace point fingers are in active position, and means on the rod which are moved to operate the switch and break the operating circuit for the motor when the rod engages either the member associated with the instep point bar or the member asso ciated with the lace point fingers.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. l there is shown a portion of the left end of a fullfashioned knitting machine having a usual framework including an end frame and center frames 21 which are connected to each other by a front beam 22, a back beam and a center bed 26. The center frames 21 are also connected by a front bed 27 and with the end frames carry bearings in which a main camshaft 30 is rotatably supported. Also supported on the framework is a narrowing head 31 forming part of a usual narrowing mechanism (the left narrowing head being shown). Needles 32 are carried n needle bars 35, one of the needle bars being provided for each knitting section of the machine. The needle bars 35 are mounted on a shaft 36 and operated by means of levers and cams (not shown) in the usual manner. A pattern chain mechanism 37 is `shown mounted on the front beam 22 which performs its usual function of shifting the camshaft 30 during fashioning operations and controlling various operating mechanisms of the machine.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, wide narrowing combs 40 and narrow narrowing combs 41 are provided having points 42 which are adapted to engage and transfer the selvage edge loops of fabrics knitted on the needles 32. The wide and narrow combs and 41 are carried on rods 45, 46, 47 and 48, the rods 45 and 46 having a wide comb and narrow comb, respectively, acting as a pair at the left end of each needle bar 35 and the rods 47 and 48 having a wide comb and a narrow comb, respectively, acting as a pair at the right end of each needle bar. The rods 45, 46, 47 and 48 are slidably carried in brackets 50 which are mounted on a front narrowing shaft 51 supported by arms 52. The arms 52 are fixed on a back narrowing shaft (not shown) which is pivotally mounted in the end and center frames 20 and 21, respectively, in the usual manner. The arms 52 are rocked about the axis of the back narrowing shaft to raise and lower the shaft 51 and the wide and narrow combs 40 and 41 by means of a cam 55, mounted on the main camshaft 30, and a lever arrangement 56 which is connected to the shaft 51 by means of a link 57.

The rod with the wide combs 40 and the rod 46 with the narrow combs 41 operating at the left ends of the needle bars 35, are connected to and operated by a nut 60 of the narrowing head 31. The rod 47 with the wide combs 40 and rod 48 with the narrow combs 41 operating at the right ends of the needle bars, are connected to and operated in a like manner by a nut 61 of the narrowing head. The nuts 60 and 61 are usual parts of the narrowing head 31 and are carried on and receive their movement from a reversely threaded spindle 62 in the conventional manner. It is to be understood that the rods 45, 46, 47 and 48 are split at the center of the machine with the left narrowing head 31 (Fig. l) Operat ing the rods for the knitting sections in the left half of the machine. A similar narrowing head (not shown) is provided at the right end of the machine for operating the rods for the knitting sections in the right half of the machine.

Also pivotally carried in the brackets 50 are the rods 65, 66 and 67. The rod 65 carries wide bars 70 having picot or lace points 71 for cooperating with the needles 32 in forming transferred loops or otherwise modifying the loops on the needles across the full width of the needle bars 35. The rod 66 carries narrow lace or instep point bars 72 having lace points 75 for cooperating with thc needles in forming transferred or other modified forms of loops in the unreinforced instep portion between the reinforced heel and sole portions of the stocking blanks. The rod 67 carries lace fingers 76, two for each needle bar 35, and each having a single lace point 77 for cooperating with the needles to transfer loops to form characters indicating the machine gauge and yarn denier or like markings adjacent opposite selvage edges of thc fabrics. The bars 70 and 72 and lace point fingers 76 are normally positioned in raised position and are only lowered to active position one at a time. As shown in Fig. l, the wide bar 70 overlaps a portion of the points 42 in the idled wide narrowing combs 40 and all of the points in the narrow narrowing combs 41 which are shown in idled position at the center of the needle bars 35. In order to permit the wide bars 70 to be lowered into active position without interfering with the wide and narrow combs 40 and 41, the shaft 51 is raised to a higher operating level than that required when the combs are in operation. The mechanism for raising shaft 51 and operating it at the higher level forms no part of the present invention and therefore is not described herein in detail. However, this mechanism is shown in detail in the aforementioned 1947 and l952 Reading Parts Catalogs and is fully shown and described in Patent No. 2,242,070, hereinbefore referred to.

The lace point fingers 76 and narrow point bars 72 are in the same vertical plane when in active position and are operated at the same level as the wide and narrow narrowing combs 40 and 41. In the usual practice, thc lace point fingers 76 operate in the welt to form the machine gauge and yarn denier markings, the wide and narrow narrowing combs being positioned at this time as shown in Fig. l. Immediately following completion of the gauge and denier markings the lace point fingers are raised to an inactive position and the wide combs arc repositioned for the start of the leg narrowings. As thc fabric is narrowed the wide combs 4t] are moved toward each other until these combs are in the same position occupied by the lace fingers 76 when in active position. Therefore, it will be obvious that if through carelessness or for any other reason the lace point fingers are permitted to remain in their active positions when the wide combs 4f) are in operation, the wide combs will be moved into engagement with thc lace point fingers and damage will occur.

According to the invention, safety means is provided to stop the machine when the wide narrowing combs 40 reach a predetermined position relative to the lace point fingers 76, when the latter are in their active positions, and to thereby stop further movement of the combs toward each other until the lace fingers are moved to inactive position. The means for this purpose includes a rod 80 carried in a bracket 81 (Figs. 3 and 6) secured to the wide comb 40 on the rod 45 and a bracket 82 secured directly to the rod 45 (Figs. 2 and 4), the rod 80 having both axial and rotative movement in the brackets. A spring on the rod 80 between the bracket 82 and a collar 86 on the rod, biasses the rod toward the right (Fig. 2') to position a collar 87 in engagement with the bracket 81 (Fig. 6), the collar 87 acting to limit the rightward movement of the rod. The rod 80 extends to the right beyond the wide comb 40 on the rod 45 and is adapted to engage a plate 90 secured, as by screws 91, to a projecting portion 92 of the left hand lace point finger 76 when the finger is in active position, as shown in Fig. S. The plate 90 is notched at 95 to engage the rod 45 and determine the active position of the lace point finger 76.

The rod S is provided with a collar 96 (Figs. 2 and 4) having a pin 97 which acts to anchor one end of a tension spring 100 the other end of which is connected to a pin 101 carried in a projecting portion 102 of the bracket 82. The spring 100 biases the pin 97 into engagement with a surface 105 on the underside of the bracket 82, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The rod 80 also has a finger 106 secured thereto which, as hereinafter set forth, is adapted at times to engage a button 107 of a microswitch 110 to open said micro-switch, as shown in Fig. 2. The micro-switch 110 is of a commercial type that must be manually reset to closed position after being opened, a second button 111 being provided for this purpose. The switch 110 is carried on a bracket 113 secured to the center bed 26.

As diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2 the micro-switch 110 is in the electrical circuit of the operating motor of the machine, the circuit including main line conductors 112 and 115 and a conductor 116 connecting the conductor 112 and the switch. The micro-switch 110 is connected by a conductor 121 to the main line conductor 115 through a solenoid winding or coil 122 of a switch 125. This circuit controls the opening and closing of a circuit including a push button switch 126, the machine operating motor 127, a conductor 130 connected to the main line conductor 112 and passing through the switch 126 and motor 127 to stationary contact members 131 and a movable contact member 132 to the main line conductor 115. The movable contact member 132 is a part of a core member 135, of the switch 125, which moves the movable Contact member into engagement with the stationary contact members 131 against the action of a spring 136 when the circuit through the solenoid winding 122 is closed. The push button switch 126 is of the type that is automatically opened when the motor circuit is opened and is manually closed to restart the motor.

When the lace point fingers are in raised inactive position the finger 106 on the rod 80 is maintained out of alignment with the button 107, as viewed in Fig. 7, by engagement of the pin 97 with the underside of the bracket 82. Therefore, as the narrowing combs 40 are moved longitudinally toward each other as viewed in Fig. 2, to narrow the fabric, the rod 80 and finger 106 will move in the s arne direction and at one point the finger 106 will be above the button 107 as shown in broken outline in Fig. 2. However, the end of finger 106 being positioned out of alignment with the button 107, as shown in Fig. 7, it will not contact the button as the finger is lowered with the shaft 51 during the dipping movement of the narrowing operation. When, however, the lace point fingers 76 are inadvertently permitted to remain in active position (Figs. l and 4) during the fashioning operation, as the combs 40 are moved toward each other the rcd 80 will engage and be arrested by the plate 90. The position of the finger 106 on the rod is such that at this time it is above the button 107, as viewed in Fig. 2, but the end of the finger is out of alignment with the button 107, as viewed in Fig. 7. As the combs continue to move toward each other, the bracket S2, which also moves with the combs 40, moves relative to the collar 86 thereby compressing the spring 85 and the pin 97 is moved relative to the bracket 82 along the surface 105. Continued movement of the combs and bracket 82 moves the surface 105 out of engagement with the pin 97 whereupon the spring 100 turns the rod 80 clockwise, as

5 viewed in Fig; 7, until the pin 97 engages a surface 108 of the bracket. Clockwise movement of the rod swings the end of the finger 106 into alignment with the button 107 of the switch 110 as shown in broken outline in Fig. 7.

As the Vcombs are lowered in the continuation of the fashioning operation, the finger 106 will engage and depress the button 107 to open the circuits through theswitch 125 and motor 127 thereby stopping the motor and the machine. When the trouble is corrected by moving the iingers 76 to raised inactive position, the rod 80 is manually turned counterclockwise against the action of the spring to move the finger 106 to its inactive position of Fig. 7. At this time the spring 85 also moves the rod to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, to again engage the pin 97 with the surface 105 and to hold the finger in such inactive position. The button 111 may then be operated to close the switch which in turn closes the circuit to the switch and the motor 127 may then be restarted by closing the switch 126.

When the narrow or instep point bar 72 is in lowered operating position, the narrow combs 41 are in abutting relation to the wide combs 40 and a wide and narrow comb function as a single comb at each of the fabric edges. In order to prevent engagement between the narrow combs 41 and the point bar '72, and to stop the motor 127 when the combs and bars inadvertently approach too closely to each other, due to inaccurate machine settings as hereinbefore set forth, the rod S0 is also adapted to function to open the circuits to the motor 127. For this purpose the rod 00 carries a member 137 which is adapted to engage an end portion of a lever 141 (Figs. 3 and 6) pivotally mounted on a shaft 142 carried in the brackets 52. The lever 141 is positioned on the shaft 142 between a pair of collars 14S fixed on the shaft. A tension spring 146, connected between the lever 141 and an arm 147 secured to the shaft 51 (Fig. 3), tends to hold the lever against a low portion 150 of a cam 151 on the shaft 66 for the point bar 72 when the bar is in its raised inactive position. ln this position the portion 140 is out of the path of the member 137. When, however, the shaft 66 is rotated to lower bar 72 to active position, the cam 151 is rotated with it to move a high portion 152 into engagement with the lever 141 and move the end 140 into the path of the member 137.

The rod 80 is provided with a second nger 155 for engagement with the button 107 of the switch 110. The finger 155 is positioned on the rod S0 to normally pass the button 107 of the switch 110 in the same manner as set forth in connection with the finger 106. When, however, the combs 40 and 41 inadvertently continue to operate with the point bar 72 in its active position, the member 137 engages the end 140 of the lever 141 thereby arresting the rod 00 at which time the finger 155 is above the button 107, but the end of the finger is out of alignment with the button similarly as explained in connection with the operation of the finger 106. As the combs 40 and 41 continue to move in the narrowing direction the pin 97 will ride oit the surface 105 thereby permitting the spring 100 to rotate the shaft S0 and swing the end of' the finger 155 into alignment with the button 107, as viewed in Fig. 7. As the combs 40 and 41 are lowered in the continuation of the fashioning cycle, the finger 155 engages and depresses the button 107 to open the circuits through the switch 125 and the motor 127 to stop the motor and the machine before the combs 41 engage the bar 72. After moving the combs outwardly to disengage the member 137 from the end 140 and correcting any other inaccurate machine setting, the rod 80 is rotated counterclockwise (Fig. 4) thereby permitting the spring 85 to again move the pin 97 into engagement with the surface 105 to hold the finger 155 out of the path of the button 107. The machine is then again set into operation as above set forth.

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above described results are obtained, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed:

We claim:

l. In a knitting machine having a lace point, means for supporting said lace point, a narrowing point comb, and means for moving said narrowing point comb toward said lace point supporting means, the combination with safety means for preventing movement of the point comb into engagement with said lace point supporting means.

2. In a knitting machine having lace points, means `l'or supporting said lace points, narrowing points, combs for supporting said narrowing points in the same plane and at the same level as said lace points, and means for moving said combs toward said lace point supporting means, the combination with safety means for preventing engagement of said combs with said lace point supporting means.

3. ln a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, lace points, means for supporting said lace points. narrowing points. combs for supporting said narrowing points in the same plane and at the same level as said lace points. and means for moving said combs toward said lace point supporting means, the combination with means for stopping said operating motor when the combs reach a predetermined position relative to said lace point supporting means.

4. ln a tull-fashioned knitting machine having needles, a bar for said needles, lace points cooperating with said needles intermediate the ends of said bar, supporting means for said lace points, narrowing combs cooperating with the needles adjacent the ends of said bar, combs for supporting said narrowing points and means for moving said combs toward each other and toward the lace point supporting means, the combination with safety means for preventing movement of said combs into engagement with said lace point supporting means.

5. ln a full-fashioned knitting machine having needles, a bar for said needles, lace points for cooperation with said needles intermediate the ends of said bar, supporting means for said lace points having active and inactive positions relative to said needles, narrowing points for cooperation with the needles adjacent the end of said bar. combs for said narrowing points, means for moving said combs toward each other and toward said lace point supporting means, and means for limiting the movement of said combs toward each other only when said lace point supporting means is in active position.

6. in a full-fashioned knitting machine having needles, a bar for said needles. lace fingers each of which is provided with a lace point for cooperation with the needles intermediate the ends of said bar, a shaft for supporting said lace lingers in active and inactive positions relative to said needles. a narrowing comb having points for cooperation with the needles adjacent each end of said bar, a bar for supporting and moving each of said combs toward each other and toward said lace lingers, and safety means tor stopping the movement of said combs short of said lace lingers and for preventing further movement of said combs toward each other when said lace lingers are in active position.

7. in a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, lace point lingers having active and inactive positions, narrowing combs movable toward each other and toward said lace point lingers, the combination with means for preventing movement of said narrowing combs into engagement with said lace point lingers when the latter are in active positions comprising a rod on one of said combs and movable therewith, a member on one of said lace point lingers, and means operated by said rod when said rod engages said member to open said electrical circuit and stop said motor.

8. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, lace point fingers having active and inactive positions, narrowing combs movable toward cach other and toward said lace point fingers, the combination with means for preventing movement of said narrowing combs into engagement with said lace point fingers when the latter are in their active positions comprising a rod movable with one of said narrowing combs, a member en one of said lace point fingers adapted to be positioned in the path of said rod when said lace point lingers are in active position, a switch in said motor circuit, and means on said rod for operating said switch to open said circuit and stop said motor when said rod is moved into engagement with said member.

9. in a fulldashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, an instep lace point bar, narrowing combs movable toward each other and toward said point bar. a lever associated with said point bar, a member on one of said narrowing combs for mov-ement therewith, said member being adapted to engage said lever when said comb is moved to a predetermined position relative to said point bar, and means operated by said member when said member is moved into engagement with said lever to open said electrical circuit and stop said motor.

l0. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, a lace point bar having active and inactive positions, narrowing combs movable toward each other and toward said lace point bar, the combination with means for preventing movement of said narrowing combs into engagement with said lace point bar comprising a member on one of said combs for movement therewith, a lever associated with said lace point bar, said lever being adapted to be positioned in the path of said member when said lace point bar is in active position, and switch means operated when said member engages said lever to open said motor circuit to stop said motor.

ll. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed circuit for operating said motor, a needle bar, lace point lingers having active and inactive positions, narrowing combs movable toward each other and toward said lace point lingers, and means lor dipping said lace point lingers and point combs for cooperation with said needle bar, the combination with safety means for preventing movement of said narrowing combs into engagement with said lace point lingers comv prising a rod movable with one of said combs, a member on one of said lace point Vlingers adapted to be positioned in the path of said rod when said lingers are in active position, a switch in said motor circuit, a ngcr on said rod adapted to engage and operate said switch during said dipping movement of said lace point .Vingers and narrowing combs, said linger on said rod being normally out ol' switch engaging position. and Ameans operating to turn said rod to position said linger for engagement with said switch when said rod engages said member.

l2. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, a lace point bar having active and inactive positions, a shaft for supporting said lace point bar, narrowing combs, means for moving said combs toward each other and toward said lace point bar, a lever associated with said lace point bar. a member on one of said narrowing combs for movement therewith. a cam on said shaft for moving said lever into thc path otsaid member when said lace point bar is in active position, and means operated by said member when it is moved into engagement with said lever to open said electrical circuit and stop said motor.

13. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, a lace point bar, narrowing combs movable toward each other and toward said lace point bar, and means to stop said machine when said combs have moved to a predetermined position relative to said lace point bar including a member on one of said combs and movable therewith, an element associated with said lace point bar adapted to be engaged by said member, a switch for maintaining said electrical circuit normally closed, and a finger adapted to be moved to engage and operate said switch to open said electrical circuit when said member engages said element.

14. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, a needle bar, lace point iingers having active and inactive positions relative to said needle bar, narrowing combs, means for moving said combs toward each other and toward said lace point fingers, the combination with means for preventing movement of said narrowing combs into engagement with said lace point fingers when the latter are in their active positions including a rod movable with one of said combs, a member on one of said lace point fingers adapted to be positioned in the path of said rod when said lace point fingers are in active position, a switch for maintaining said motor circuit closed, a finger on said rod adapted to engage and operate said switch to open said motor circuit, latch means for normally holding said finger on said rod out of switch engaging position, said latch means being released when said rod is moved into engagement with said member, and spring means for moving said linger into position to operate said switch when said latch means is released.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,183,575 Lieberknecht Dec. 19, 1939 2,601,155 Lane June 17, 1952 2,629,994 Saunders Mar. 3, 1953 

